


Bliss

by Sonze



Category: MapleStory
Genre: Alternate Universe- Switched Sides, Gen, will add more as more is written
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-08 04:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16422611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonze/pseuds/Sonze
Summary: Maple World is under a grand threat- Rhinne, the once peaceful Transcendent of Time, has turned towards the darkness. Through the conquering force of her Heroes, the world hangs in the balance, threatening at any moment to fall into her hands. However, the White Mage, Transcendent of Light, has chosen to fight back. With the help of his chosen Commanders, he vows to protect Maple World from the forces that wish to tear it apart- at any cost.Switched Sides AU.





	1. Call to Action

_One white dove against a dark blue sky, beautiful and graceful, that flies against the current that carries a starving hawk. Such is fate._

Lucid blinked awake. Her vision was a mass of blue- she rubbed her eyes, and the mass slowly cleared itself into leaves. Sunlight poked through the gaps, one beam burning hot on her cheek. She sat up and slapped it.

_Figures I would dream about that._  She moved backwards against the branch she was on, stopping once her back hit the trunk and resting against it. She looked down to her lap- a single piece of parchment was resting on it, a simple letter. She had read it over and over, and each time she could only reach one conclusion- this was her chance.

Lucid jumped from the branch, landing gracefully by a pile of leaves. She dug through them, uncovering her crossbow and a small, emptied quiver. She stuffed the letter into the quiver and strapped it around her waist, then picked up her crossbow. The steel finish shone blue under the trees. She plucked at the string, and it hummed in response.

A shuffle. Lucid whipped around and went quiet. She raised her crossbow slowly. Her heart began to pound, to where she feared she wouldn’t be able to hear-

Another shuffle. She shot her arm to the left, pulling the string back. A shimmering blue arrow materialized as she moved her hand towards the trigger. She shifted her position to face fully towards her potential target…

A blur of brown. She pulled the trigger, and was greeted with a loud _thunk_. The arrow dissipated, and Lucid was left with the sight of a small, brown, bloodied ball of fur in front of her.

It was a squirrel.

She went still- then laughed nervously. _I uh… I just did that for target practice! Yeah, practice. I can shoot a squirrel out of a tree. I’m a pro. Not just nervous. Yeah._

She made to begin walking, glancing behind herself- and stopped. Just over the sea of blue leaves was a spot of pink in the distance. The sight forced her heart still in her chest. She felt herself drawn towards it, the desire to go back just as strong as her will. But…

She felt underneath her collar and retrieved a small, golden locket. She turned from the sight and pressed the locket to her lips.

_For my Queen._

She dashed away and didn’t look back.

 

“This is ridiculous!” Orchid stomped back and forth in her office, barely avoiding running into a stationary Lotus, who was holding two crumpled up letters in his hands. “He dissolves Aurora, disappears for an era, and then suddenly decides he’s ready to be a vigilante, and asks us to help him like he never left?! What kind of person does he think he is?!”

“Well, he’s not a person, he’s a transcendent.”

“Oh, potato, potahto! He still thinks his values are more important than anybody else’s!”

Lotus blinked. “That’s an odd criticism of somebody who’s concerned for the sake of the world.”

Orchid stopped in place, sighed, and turned to Lotus. “Brother, dear, may I ask you something?”

“No.”

“Why do you always argue these things when I know you agree with me?”

“...”

“...” Orchid leaned toward him. “ _Do you not?_ ”

“...maybe not.”

Her eyes widened, and then she spun around, laughing to herself. “That’s refreshingly honest of you! If frustrating.”

Lotus turned his gaze downward. “It’s just...if he’s right about this, and we do nothing, we won’t have anything left to play with.”

“ _Command_ , dear brother, say command.” She turned back and tapped him on the nose as she said this. He stayed still. “It’s a nicer word.”

“...why are you calling me ‘dear brother?’ And why do you suddenly care about wording?”

Orchid lifted her chin and stuck her hand under it. “Well, mine dearest brother, whom I love with all my-”

“This is because Le Tierre called you vulgar, isn’t it? This is your way of mocking her.”

“Duh.” She crossed her arms and pouted. “She thinks she’s so much better than me… she’s just a secretary! Nothing to the grand commander of the Black Wings of Edelstein!” She spread her arms outward, using her proud stance as a point of proof to her statement. Lotus just sighed.

Orchid walked to the front of the room, stopping in front of a large window. The whole of the city of Edelstein lay beneath them, theirs to watch over. Protecting the peace was stressful, annoying even, and yet…

“Edelstein is ours. If that bastard thinks his deal is more important…” She turned to Lotus. “He’ll come get us.”

He nodded in agreement.

 

Damien sorted through his bag one last time, counting the money and clothing he had over and over. He obsessed over his plans in his mind- _Buy a ferry to Orbis. Stay for one day, buy a ferry to Victoria Island, buy another to Edelstein. Spend a week searching for a guy in the middle of nowhere, die of starvation or animal attack, or he turns out to be lying. Great!_

He looked over the letter he had again, hoping for some clue in the wording, some sense of guidance he'd missed...and found none. He sighed and tied his bag closed, strapping it onto his hip.

Damien stood back up and looked around. There were no candles in his attic, but the small window in front of him let in enough of the bright noon light to see the thousands of dust particles in the air around him. He had shuffled his scarf over his face to keep himself from coughing, but it was starting to get difficult.

He tiptoed his way out of the room and closed to door behind him, wincing at the loud, laborious creaking of the old hinges. _That door hasn’t been oiled in decades, has it..._

Making sure to make no noise, he went into his grandmother’s room and placed his note- _Going hunting, had to leave earlier than expected. Will return in ten days. XOXO -Damien_

It wasn’t technically a lie, but still, his heart sank.

He went downstairs, cringing at every small noise his steps made, and made it to the largest room in his house, a small den, where above the fireplace was mounted...an empty sheath. Damien ran to the sheath and took it down, feeling his heart begin to race in his chest. “What…”

“Looking for this?”

He whirled around in panic to find his grandmother, with a bright green robe and a thousand curlers still in her hair, holding his sword.

He ran up to her and snatched the sword out of her hands. “I told you, you shouldn’t touch Revengance!” He put it back into its sheath and strapped it into his back. “I still don’t know what it does, and I don’t know if I’ll ever find out, but in the meantime I can’t risk anyone getting hurt-”

“Damien, you’re rambling again.”

“Ah…sorry...”

She sighed and motioned to his bag. “You wouldn’t be taking half of our savings if you were going hunting. You wouldn’t be taking Revengance, either, but a sword won’t buy us dinner. Unless you sold it, like I told you to.”

“Grandma, nobody would buy...nevermind.” He fiddled with the straps, tightening and untightening them. “Look...it’ll only take ten days, and I promise I’ll send a letter with the savings if it takes longer, so-”

“You’re looking for your brother again, aren’t you?”

“...yeah.”

Not technically a lie. This was the closest thing he had to a chance in years.

His grandmother only responded with a deep scowl. They stood there for a moment, staring at each other, before Damien placed a hand on her shoulder. “I won’t be long, I promise.”

She pulled him into a hug. “Don’t promise, just do that.”

“Of course.”

He pulled away and made for the front door. He had just opened it when-

“Oh, one more thing, Damien.”

“Yeah?” He turned to face his grandmother.

“If you find your brother, tell him…” She paused. “Tell him that he’s an idiot.” She ginned.

Damien grinned back. “Of course.”

He closed the door behind him and blinked. The bright light reflected on the surrounding plantlife didn’t treat his eyes well, but he wasn’t about to head off just yet. He took in his surroundings- Leafre, at high noon, had the sun directly above it, creating minimal shadows and giving everything around him a surreal appearance. The greens around him seemed to blend together harshly, cut through by blurs of dark brown. Everything would return to its normal appearance soon enough, about an hour after noon- just when Damien would be leaving.

He began to walk down the path towards the station, but had hardly taken five steps before he looked back at his house. It was a small, cobbled together thing of brick and cheap shingles, but it had been his home for as long as he could remember. Now… he had no idea when he would return.

He gripped his scarf and walked away.

 

To an outsider, the sight of the sunset on the cracked stone architecture of Azwan made the city seem drearier. To its citizens, it was a welcome relief from the bright beating sun of the daytime. To Hilla, it served as a constant reminder. The letter didn’t help in the slightest.

She looked to the small pageboy kneeling in front of her, noticeably trembling out of his skin despite his stoic expression.

She nodded slightly. “Thank you. You may go.”

The boy froze, then jolted upright, made a hasty yet gracious statement of gratitude, and bolted out of the door. Hilla chuckled. “Children get scared of the darndest things.”

The moment the door shut, Hilla turned around and cursed loudly. The air in the room stiffened as the now fearful guards glanced at each other.

“This...this is bad. This is horrible. This… of all damn people…!” She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white.

“Empress…” One of the shamans finally spoke- her voice was hardly above a whisper. “What...what was in the letter...?”

Silence.

“Medina…” Iason leaned towards her and spoke in a whisper. “I’ve never seen her in this state…”

“Me neither-”

“Guards!” Hilla shouted, causing a number of the guards to jump. “Leave this room and seal the entrance. Let nobody in and nobody out until I indicate otherwise.”

They shared glances again, unsure of her motives-

“ _Now!_ ” Hilla slammed her staff against the ground as she barked out her order. The guards scrambled to move, filing out and closing the doors behind them.

The throne room was left in silence, with nothing but Hilla, her aides, and the dimming light of the sunset. Dark shadows fell across Hilla’s face, seemingly deepening the numerous wrinkles re-appearing over her skin. Her hair, turning from red, to gray, to a sickly white, was translucent in the yellow light. She gripped her staff tightly.

“All of you,” she said, “what I am about to discuss will not leave this room, save a singular letter. This is of vital importance, beyond any meeting prior. Do I have your word?”

The aides stood in stunned silence, unsure what to say. Hilla sighed and repeated herself- “ _Do I have your word?_ ”

“Yes, empress!”

“Good.” She turned away from the aides, taking careful strides towards the front of the room. From the wall of one-sided glass, the whole of Azwan was beneath her.

“...He does one good deed, then decides he can take me away from my kingdom on a whim…” She muttered. “He thinks I can abandon this to go on a doomed manhunt…”

Suddenly, she whipped around and headed back towards the center of the room. “Once he receives the response, he will have ten days. Tell the border guards that if a man with long white hair and a wooden staff arrives within that time frame, they must bring him _directly_  to me. Otherwise, he will have no admittance to Azwan. Ever.”

Silence.

“Empress…” Medina finally said, “What will the letter say…?”

Hilla went still for a moment- then a wicked grin formed over her face.

“Listen carefully.”

 

From the hills of inner Edelstein, far from any of the populated areas, hundreds upon thousands of starts could be seen at midnight. They illuminated the hillsides and forests with a slight light, just enough for a certain long haired mage to see his work in front of him. He had written, re-written, and then written his message again, toiling over the wording, then had finally sent it out...but still it felt incomplete. He read it to himself once again, if only to assure himself that it would be effective. The mage didn’t expect a quick response, nor one at all, really...but he hoped that he would have some form of assistance in the coming future. Regardless…

He folded his parchment, placed it back into his bag, and laid on the grass. There were no trees on the hill he was on, nothing to separate him from full view of the stars above. He was tempted to lie there forever, to soak in the universe…

Above him, he saw a small figure fly over- a single dove. After a second, a hawk flew over, followed quickly by the muffled sound of impact.

The mage closed his eyes.

 

_To those whom I am contacting… I will make this brief._

_As I write to you, a great evil is stirring- one beyond what this world has seen before, and one it may never get the chance to see again._

_I have sensed it from within the Temple of Time- Rhinne has turned to corruption._

_I do not know her motives, nor her plans, but I fear that she will soon strike._

_For this reason, I ask of you a simple request- join me, and protect the world._

_If I must act on my own, I shall. However, I am unsure if my own power will be sufficient._

_If you wish to join me, meet me within the wilderness of Edelstein._

_I await your response._

_-The White Mage_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To those of you who have known about this for a long time, here it is. To those of you who are entirely new to this being a thing, hi! There's a lot to potentially spoil here, so I won't go into any detail about my plans. All I'll say is- buckle up. This is about to be a doozy.  
> I will most likely add in artwork of the character designs at some point.  
> Also, I can't entirely estimate when a possible next chapter will go up, but I hope it won't take a million years.  
> Thank you so much for reading!  
> Edit 10/27/18: Slightly edited some wording.  
> Edit 11/16/18: Didn't realize how end note formatting works oops.


	2. Gather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter! I'm honestly kinda blown away by the reception it got. Sorry chapter two took a bit longer than I thought it would, but hey, it's not a massive amount of time.  
> Anyway here's chapter 2.

Aria had become used to the boredom typical of being an Empress. Most affairs were handled by her dignitaries, and everything else was menial at most. That day, however, she stood at the head of the long unused conference table, beaming. The rest of the table…

“Aria...may I ask why you called a meeting with no pretense?” Aran asked. “You’re lucky none of us were doing anything.”

“Speak for yourself.” Eclipse didn’t bother to look up. “I have far less time to practice sparring than you.” His eyes drifted to Aria, then darted away. “And I implore you, Empress Aria, stop making that expression. You look like-”

“ _Watch it._ ” Phantom snapped. He shifted closer to Aria, who had barely noticed Eclipse’s remark.

He simply shrugged and looked back down to his staff. “Apologies.”

Silence.

Next to Eclipse, Mercedes slammed her hand on the desk, causing him to jump. “Aria, I can’t imagine you brought us here to stare at each other. What on earth are you waiting for?”

“For everyone to arrive.”

She turned to see Freud walking up, with Evan holding his hand and Eunwol following closely behind. Freud settled himself by the end of the table, with the other two hovering nearby. “I’m sad you assumed that we wouldn’t be included.”

“Yeah, that’s rude.” Evan pulled himself on top of the table and sat cross-legged. “You should apologize.”

Eunwol blinked.

Mercedes sighed. “I just didn’t expect it. And Evan…” She glared at him. “ _Please_ don’t sit on the table.”

“But I want to…”

Freud chuckled lightly. “Evan… This is important.”

He sighed and slid off of the table. “You always say that…”

“It’s true this time.”

“ _Ahem..._ ”

Everyone went quiet as Aria, who had placed a large, bound parchment on the table, began to speak. “It seems everyone is here...aside from Demon, who’s currently in Edelstein. He will be caught up upon his arrival.” She paused. “I’ll get to the point- Rhinne has finally contacted us again.”

Everybody at the table snapped to full attention, staring at her. She swallowed, and continued, “We’ve had false alarms in the past, yes, and I was certain it was another one, but...no.”

Her calm smile contorted into a wicked grin. “It’s time.”

No response.

“...y’know...for war? Conquering?” Aria motioned vaguely. “Preparing the world for Rhinne’s rule?”

“I just don’t think any of us had a response to that. It was... dramatic.” Aran didn’t meet Aria’s eyes.

“War usually is,” Phantom said flatly. “Did you want her to throw it out there while we all just sat around and sipped some tea?”

Aran glared at him. “I did not ask for your input.”

Phantom looked away and didn’t respond.

“Do not mind them, Empress. If this provides the opportunity to use darkness at last, I will gladly follow.” Eclipse grinned.

“Eclipse-” Mercedes began.

“Don’t bother,” Freud mumbled, “he’ll just get mad.”

She glanced back towards Eclipse. “...and may I ask, again, why a nineteen year old is on a war council? ...as well as your own son?”

Freud went silent.

Aria picked up the rolled parchment and began to open it. “I thank you for your concern, Eclipse, but I don’t usually mind banter between my guards and my _husband_ , of all people. Regardless…” She held the fully opened paper in front of her face. “For my preferences, I think it’s wise to begin conquest as soon as possible, if only subtly, so…” Aria places the paper onto the table and revealed a large, detailed map of Ossyria. “I’d like to use this time to decide where to strike first.”

 

“White Maaaaaaaage!!!!!”

Damien yelled into the hills, responded to only with the sound of his own voice. “Where are yoooooooooou?!!! We’re here to save to wooooooooooorld!!!!”

“Stop screaming, he’s not here.” Lucid plopped onto the grass near him. “He would’ve heard you by now if he was within eight miles.”

He sighed and sat down next to her. “It’s frustrating. I’ve spent almost half of my life’s savings _getting_ here, and now we can’t find the damn guy. I’m starting to think this was a scam to fund Edelstein’s transportation system.”

“Nonsense. He wouldn’t go from an organization like Aurora to money-making schemes...I hope.”

Damien nodded, pretending that he knew what Aurora was. He did not.

A moment passed in silence.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “So, uh… Where’re you from?”

“Elluel. There aren’t elves anywhere else.”

“Oh...I’m from Leafre.”

“Cool.”

More silence.

Damien made to get up when Lucid cleared her throat. “You’re wondering what my motive is, aren’t you? A pupil going directly against her queen has to be suspicious.”  
_…I wasn’t._ “Yeah.”

“The thing is… she’s been acting strange. Our whole alliance with Ereve was out of left field and gave us nothing - in fact, we’ve been giving resources to them that we can’t afford to give. On top of that…” She swallowed. “Mercedes...she’s seemed more and more like a figurehead carrying out whatever Aria wants to do...which I guess is just what Rhinne wants to do. And what the letter said… it makes too much sense.”

“...what are they doing?”

Lucid gave out a dry laugh. “I guess Leafre wouldn’t get that kind of news, huh?” She shook her head. “It’s not important to you.”

“That’s cold.”

“It’s just complicated.”

Damien sighed and stood up. He stared into the surroundings - the hills only grew larger the further from the city.

“You’re… Damien, right? I’m Lucid.”

“Yeah…” Damien blinked, then turned around. “Where did you hear that?”

“There were demons in Edelstein talking about a guy with one eye. I think they were looking for you.”

“Demons in…” His eye widened. He drew closer to Lucid, intending to speak further, when her hand shot out to her side.

“Wait.” Her voice was soft. She stood up slowly.

“You-”

“ _Hush._ ”

They stood still for a moment, Lucid visibly straining to listen, her ears sticking straight out- until they shot back as she reached for her crossbow.

“Someone’s here.”

Damien stiffened and turned where she was staring. He heard nothing but the slight rustle of grass in the breeze. He looked back at Lucid. “Um…”

She held her crossbow out in front of her and began taking light strides forward, leading with it. Damien sighed and pulled out Revengance. It hummed in his hand, glowing red save for a single empty groove. He reached instinctively for his satchel… and found a fistful of air. He glanced at his sides- nothing. A brief flare of panic lit in him, until he remembered he had left some of his belongings in a hotel room in Edelstein. _Must be there._ He turned his attention back to Lucid and followed a careful distance behind her, matching her quiet steps.

She broke into a sprint. In a moment, she was on the other side of the hill. Damien ran to catch up to her, finding her with her crossbow loaded, pointing directly at...

A man with long white hair sleeping on the hillside.

Lucid stood still. She slowly lowered her crossbow. “Please...don’t tell me he’s what I heard.”

The man snored lightly. Lucid sighed into a groan. “He is.” She threw her crossbow onto the ground and sat down in a huff.

_...what just happened?_

Damien sheathed his sword with hesitance, staring at Lucid. “Um…”

“I thought I heard something growling.” She jabbed a finger in the man’s direction. “It was just him.”

“Ah.” Damien stared at him for a moment, then looked to the hill behind them. “Well… we may as well keep looking, then-”

“This is the White Mage, idiot.”

Damien’s head whipped back to her. “He is?!”

“Did you not think that the _white_ guy with _white_ hair and _white_ robes could possibly be the _White_ Mage?” She gestured emphatically towards the apparent mage. “No clue at all?”

“Well…” He turned around fully and walked back towards the mage. “I mean, from his cadence, I thought he was some old scruffy guy in the middle of the woods…”

“With a big name tag that said ‘Hello, I am White Mage.’”

“Ha ha.” He stepped next to him. The mage’s expression was serene, completely unbothered by the daylight. Damien reached out, intending to shake him awake, when a sharp blue volt of energy crackled around his fingers and a bright, translucent barrier materialized around the mage.

“Ack!” He jerked his hand away and barely caught himself from falling backwards. He glanced at his hand - nothing had happened to it. “What the hell…?”

Lucid stared intently at the mage, then, as if an energy barrier hadn’t just suddenly appeared around him, walked closer and squatted by his face. She lifted her hand just outside of the barrier and closed her eyes.

 

_A verdant field in the middle of a forest, undisturbed by society. Lush greens and browns briefly intercut with bright blue from above, and a lone figure standing in the middle, a small child with bright silver hair._

_Lucid groaned._ Always with these dreams.

_“Hey, White Mage! Wake the hell up!”_

_The child in front of her disappeared, and the forest began to dissolve into black. Before long, she saw nothing but darkness._

_“Lucid, correct?”_

_She whipped around to find the mage standing behind her, staff in hand. He seemed slightly hunched. “I hope my message was received without much complication.”_

_“...I almost shot it.”_

_He chuckled. “My apologies.” He straightened his posture, standing far taller than he had while hunched, but still much shorter than Lucid. “Should I presume that this means you will assist in my efforts?”_

_“I’m quite literally right next to you. I did this to tell you to wake up.”_

_“Ah-”_

_The void they stood in turned to a brilliant white..._

 

...and slowly cleared into the hillside. Lucid stood back up. Damien was nearby, picking at grass. He turned to look at her. “Can I ask _now_ what the hell you’re doing?”

“He was dreaming. I told him he has visitors.”

“... you what?”

“It is her ability.” They both turned to the mage, who was now sitting up. His smile was small, but warm. “Lucid is able to enter into dreams and manipulate them, whether she is awake or asleep.” He stood up. “ And I presume you are Damien?”

“I...yeah.” Damien dropped his grass collection and stood.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both.”

Lucid nodded, while Damien grunted.

The mage grabbed his cape and began to pluck grass from the cloth. “My apologies to the both of you, I wasn’t expecting a response within the week.”

Lucid blinked. “That’s… a long time.”

“Yes, well…” He trailed off as he started brushing at dirt. The three of them stood there for a moment.

“Well…” Damien cleared his throat. “Is there… somewhere more secure to discuss than the clearest hillside in Edelstein?”

The mage nodded. “There’s a place just over the next hill that will house us. And just as well, this is thoroughly stained…” He bunched up the cape in his arms. A large green stain had created a vague outline where his back had made contact with the ground. He started down the hill, curving away from the both of them. “Follow me.”

The two glanced at each other, then followed in silence.

 

Lucid glared at the mage from over the rim of her teacup. She took a long sip. “When you said there was a ‘place over the hill that will house us,’ I was given the impression of an inn.” She placed the cup on her plate. “Not a shack.”

They were in a wooden hut with a low, cracked ceiling and soft wooden floors. Lucid sat at a small table, where the White Mage sat across from her, and Damien stood to her left- there were only two chairs. He stared intently at his sword, gripping it tight. He hadn’t spoken a word since they arrived.

The mage chuckled. “I didn’t intend to mislead you in any sense… I merely meant that this will be our residence while we discuss our course of action. Far more comfortable than talking on a hillside.”

Damien finally glanced up. “I’d rather talk on a hill than sit around and drink tea in an abandoned heap of wood.”

“I live here.”

“...oh.”

Damien looked down to the floor, then squatted. His eye was barely visible from over the side of the table.

Lucid glanced between the two men. “I, uh… appreciate the hospitality, personally… and sorry for insulting your house.”

The mage waved his hand. “No offense taken. It’s a horrible little place.” His smile was thin. “A miner was moving into Edelstein proper and was looking for an excuse to avoid paying for it in some way. It wasn’t difficult to dissuade him from burning it down - not very expensive, either.”

“Evidently.”

“Still… I don’t spend much time in it, thus the upkeep goes somewhat neglected. It was a bit nicer when I moved in… just a bit.”

Lucid laughed a little.

The mage returned the smile for a moment, then stood up. “We’ve stalled long enough.” The other two looked up at him, Damien still sitting in place.

“...I want to answer something first. Lucid, Damien, you’re wondering why I contacted you two, I’m sure.”

Lucid nodded. Damien merely kept staring at him.

“It’s simple. Rhinne… she is not working alone. She has the empress of Ereve under her control, as well as… certain people that are important to the two of you, if I am not wrong. Forgive me if I am making assumptions, but I believe someone with an emotional attachment to those involved would have more insight into their actions than I would. As well… I figured that you’d rather take their status into your own hands, if it comes to that.”

Lucid gazed into her teacup. “I… I appreciate that.” Her smile was thin.

The mage smiled back. “I hoped you would.”

Silence.

“When you say people important to us…” Damien started, staring intently at the mage. “You don’t mean…”

“I was under the impression that you had a connection with the Demon Slayer-”

“He’s in Ereve!?” He shot up, his eyes wide with a fervor.

“Well… he’s connected with them, I’m sure, but I can’t say where he is-”

“That must’ve been why the demons in Edelstein were looking for you,” Lucid said. “I’ve seen reports on the area mentioning him.”

Damien’s eye shot between the two of them- he was practically hyperventilating. “Then… then we need to question them, now.” He put his sword back into his sheath. “Right?”

“Well, wait-”

“That’s actually very convenient!” The mage clapped his hands together. “I was about to propose we head first into the city proper.”

Lucid stood up. “You were?”

“I sent a letter to the commanders of Edelstein’s Air Force regarding Rhinne. Considering the people they are, if they have not already contacted me at this point, it means they expect me to convince them in person.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Those two never change.”

“So, there’s five of us then?” Lucid asked

“Six, actually. I sent a message to Hilla, as well, but-”

A sharp screech from outside cut him off. The three looked at each other, then bolted outside, weapons brandished. The White Mage looked around, seeing no one immediately outside -

Another screech directly above them. He looked up - on top of the shack, perched on the edge of the roof, was a brilliantly red bird, practically sparkling. Clutched in its bright orange talon was a neatly rolled parchment. It stared into the distance.

The mage whistled to the bird, which immediately fluttered down towards him. It dropped the parchment in front of him and flew away as though it had never stopped. He picked it up and gazed at the letter, which was tied with a thin red rope. The moment he touched it, it dissolved into sparks, and an eight-pronged circle surrounding an intricate design appeared in black atop the letter.

“It would seem,” the mage began, showing the letter to the other two, “that Hilla has offered a response.” They lowered their weapons as he unfurled the letter and began to read it.

The placid expression he had held melted away as his brow furrowed and his eyes scanned the page faster and faster, until he folded the paper in half and sighed.

“...There’s been a change in plans.”

 

“Empress!”

Aria turned around to the Demon Slayer, stopping as he ran to her. He slid into a deep kneel.

“Rise, Slayer. I believe Freud was to inform you of our plans?”

He stood in an instant. “ Yes, and I need to speak with you immediately.”

“You seem energetic.” She took cursory glances around the two of them. “There doesn’t seem to be anyone here, so if it suits you…” She gestured towards him. “Speak your mind.”

“My brother is looking for me.”

“Damien…?”

He dug into his pocket and retrieved a small cloth satchel, jingling lightly. He emptied the contents into his hand- five gold coins, engraved with the mark of the demons, and a small red stone. “One of my soldiers retrieved this from an unfamiliar demon in Edelstein.” He slid the coins back into the satchel and held the stone gingerly, staring at it. “This gem… it’s been dulled, but it’s from my brother’s sword. It has his energy. He’s… he’s looking for me.”

Aria sucked in air through her teeth. “That...complicates things severely, then.”

“How so?” He looked up.

She didn’t immediately respond, holding her hand to her mouth, deep in thought.

He glanced back down to the satchel. “Well… he’s not leaving any time soon… of course, if he is a problem, the Resistance could weaken him-”

“You and I both know the Resistance can’t handle him in their state,” Aria snapped.

Demon gazed at her, and slowly raised the red stone. “Not if he had this, they couldn’t.” He smiled lightly.

Aria stared at him for a moment, then broke into a grin and bowed deeply to him- he returned an even deeper bow, nearly reaching a right angle. “Thank you for your information, Slayer. We will discuss this with the heroes at our earliest convenience.” She turned and continued in her path a bit faster than before.

Demon opened the satchel and placed the gem back into it, then inspected its contents once more. Five golden coins, all dusty. He picked up one with a large dent on its side, one that he left there years ago. He threw it back into the bag and stuffed it back into his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "sorry i dunked on ur shitty house lul" -Lucid 2018  
> I should have the next chapter within a month from now, that's kind of the schedule I'm hoping for.  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
